Short course
Memory and the Brain across the Lifespan
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
28/09/2026 - 30/11/202616:30 - 18:30
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£315.00
Memory is perhaps the most fundamental of all cognitive abilities: it shapes who we are, how we learn, and how we relate to others. Yet memory cannot be reduced to a single neural area or process: the brain uses distinct systems to remember faces, facts, skills, and personal experiences, each with its own neural architecture and developmental trajectory across the lifespan.
This course offers an accessible introduction to the neuroscience and cognitive psychology of memory. We begin by mapping the major memory systems—from the hippocampus to the cerebellum—and then trace how each develops and evolves from infancy through old age. Throughout, cutting-edge neuroimaging research is presented alongside classic case studies and clinical insights into conditions such as amnesia, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease.
No prior background in neuroscience or psychology is assumed. The course is designed for intellectually curious individuals who wish to understand what the science actually says and what it means for everyday life.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Course starts Monday 28 September 2026
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Mondays, 4.30-6.30pm.
Week 1: What is Memory? A brief history of the study of memory
Week 2: The Memory Systems of the Brain
Week 3: How Memories are Made: Encoding, Consolidation, Alteration and Storage
Week 4: Remembering and Forgetting
Week 5: Memory in Infancy and Childhood
Week 6: Memory in Adolescence and Adulthood
Week 7: Memory and Ageing: Normal Changes
Week 8: When Memory Fails: Amnesia and Clinical Conditions
Week 9: Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias
Week 10: Memory, Identity, and the Future of Memory Research
Course aims
This course aims to enable participants to develop a scientifically grounded understanding of how memory functions in the brain, how it develops and changes across the human lifespan, and how memory may be affected by injury, disease and ageing.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will have been given the opportunity to:
- explore the major memory systems of the brain and their neural bases
- develop an understanding of how memory develops from infancy through to old age, and examine the effects of normal ageing on cognitive function
- engage critically with current neuroscientific and clinical research on memory, including studies on amnesia and neurodegenerative conditions associated with memory impairment
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the principal memory systems of the brain and their neural bases, and of how these systems develop and change across the lifespan.
- Show critical engagement with current neuroscientific and clinical research, including the capacity to evaluate evidence and distinguish established findings from hypotheses.
- Apply concepts from cognitive psychology and neuroscience to real-world phenomena, including age-related memory change, clinical conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, and everyday memory behaviour.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Teaching methods
Each session will combine structured lecture and discussion, encouraging students to relate the discussed scientific findings to their own observations and experiences. To equip students with a practical, evidence-based understanding of memory systems, the lectures will consider both canonical and state-of-the-art clinical cases and neuroimaging studies, placing them into context. Students will also be invited to reflect on and share their perspectives on the ethical and personal dimensions of memory scientific research. The format of the course is designed with participation in mind, and readings will be circulated in advance of certain sessions to facilitate discussion.
Assessment methods
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.
Assessment
You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.
Dr Samuel Recht
Sam is a cognitive scientist whose research focuses on how attention, memory, and confidence interact to shape curiosity about the world and influence learning. He holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology (2019) and joined the University of Oxford in 2020 as a Fyssen Research Fellow within the Department of Experimental Psychology and University College. Since 2022, he has been a Lecturer at Pembroke College, and in January 2026 he was appointed Departmental Lecturer in Biological Sciences at Oxford Lifelong Learning.
Academic credit
Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)
Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.
Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.
Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.
Digital certificate of completion
Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £315.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Recommended reading
Recommended reading is optional and you are not required to purchase these books to study this course.
Library facilities
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Library, part of the Bodleian Libraries, for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are also welcome to use the Library for reference.
- More information about the Library can be found on the Bodleian Libraries website.
- This guide for Weekly Class students also provides further information.
Preparatory reading
- Why We Remember: The Science of Memory and How It Shapes Us / Charan Ranganath
- The Seven Sins of Memory / Daniel Schacter
Module code: O26P423BIW
How to enrol
Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
How to register for accreditation and assessment
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.
If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
